Hantavirus Cruise Ship Evacuation Underway from Tenerife

CNBC reported Sunday that evacuation flights carrying passengers from a hantavirus cruise ship began departing Tenerife. The operation follows a deadly outbreak aboard the MV Hondius that has claimed three lives.

Passengers Flown Home Under Strict Protocols

Government aircraft carrying Spanish and French nationals touched down in Madrid and Paris on Sunday afternoon. Authorities transported those passengers directly to hospitals. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu disclosed that one of the five French passengers showed symptoms during the return flight. Flights serving travelers from Canada, the Netherlands, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Ireland and the United States were scheduled to depart by Sunday evening local time. Remaining repatriation flights are due to complete by Monday.

Passengers face testing on arrival and will then be directed to hospitals, quarantine centers or home isolation. The World Health Organization has recommended a 42-day quarantine for everyone aboard the vessel. WHO epidemic and pandemic management director Maria Van Kerkhove cited an incubation period of up to six weeks as the basis for that guidance. Spain plans to hold its nationals in hospital for the full period. France is requiring 72 hours of hospitalization followed by 45 days of home isolation.

Background: How the Outbreak Emerged

Health officials first identified the outbreak in Johannesburg on May 2. A British man had fallen seriously ill and entered intensive care. His condition has since improved. Authorities believe the initial fatality occurred 21 days before that detection. The WHO believes the first victim may have contracted the virus before boarding, possibly during travel through Argentina and Chile. Hantavirus is typically transmitted through contact with infected rodents. Person-to-person transmission occurs only in rare, close-contact cases. No rodents were found aboard the MV Hondius.

Eight people who have since left the ship fell ill, with six confirmed cases. Three died — a Dutch couple and a German national. Four remain hospitalized across South Africa, the Netherlands and Switzerland. On the remote British territory of Tristan da Cunha, UK military personnel parachuted in medical specialists to treat a suspected case.

Officials Urge Calm, Dismiss Covid Comparisons

Acting U.S. CDC Director Jay Bhattacharya pushed back firmly against pandemic comparisons. He told CNN the virus posed little threat to the general public and that U.S. passengers could choose between home isolation and a facility in Nebraska. Spain’s health ministry echoed that position, stressing minimal risk to the broader population. A woman in Spain who shared a flight with one of the victims tested negative for the disease.

The MV Hondius itself will depart Tenerife on Monday evening. Thirty crew members remaining aboard will sail the vessel to the Netherlands for further management of the situation.

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